What goes around comes around. How true it is, especially in distribution and retail circles. There never has been a retail/distribution that hasn't been redone and or recast in a different concept. As we grow older, we often yearn for the days of our youth. It has been said that it takes twenty years for something to become nostalgic.
Let's face it; branding is a challenge in whatever category you find yourself working. It's why we're all in the business that we are - we've chosen to work in the peak of elation and trough of despair world of the communications business. It's what drives us. Being a student of branding is a fascinating pass time for me, especially when you see an unexpected ad/brand campaign that leaves you questioning why they did what they did and what is the message? This happened recently while eating lunch and reading the Wall Street Journal. A full-page ad from Harman with the headline "Sound Matters" literally jumped off the page at me.
It is finally here! The official start of summer begins with the three day weekend - Memorial Day. Barbeques, picnics, the beach, pool and summer vacations all await us over the next three months. Memorial Day is truly an American holiday where food, friends and fun reign supreme. Let the celebration begin as 28 million people travel to a get-together over the weekend. That's up 5% from last year. After two-plus long years of recession, it's heartening to see economic growth in any form.
The financial news networks have been inundated lately with new Vanguard commercials heralding a new way of investing called "Vanguarding." The spots catch your attention because they are so different and unexpected for the category, and are in conflict with Vanguard's bedrock position of low fund management fees and sound investment strategies. Turning a brand into a brand action - transitioning to a brand verb is risky business.
Think about the number of brands that we connect with early in our lives that stay with us year after year. A trusted friend that never waivers. Nothing can come between us and the brand. It is a part of who we are. No brand has a greater grip on our psyche than our sports teams. After all, "fan" is short for "fanatic." It's so true in baseball, where the day-in and day-out, up and down drama of navigating a 162 game season is both exhilarating and depressing. Yet, we keep coming back for more.
This weekend marks the start of the summer blockbuster movie season. It's the time of year when anyone over the age of 30 rarely steps foot into a movie theater. Mature audiences follow the advice of "see you in September" when more serious, adult-themed movies return to the big screen.
Much has been written over the past year and half about the death knell sounding for BTB print magazines. It seemed like everyday another BTB title was heading off to magazine heaven. It was a graveyard littered with venerable old titles that had served various categories with distinction for years. If you believed the pundits, BTB print was DOA
In most business to business circles, the OEM - the Original Equipment Manufacturer - is the big dog. OEM's bask in all the communications and marketing limelight. Being a component brand supplier to the OEM often means taking a back seat. Component brands have to fight to gain awareness and are at the mercy of the OEM's marketing and sales strategies. It's often only the OEM's way or you're banished to the highway. They have all the brand clout.
The news about Subway getting into the breakfast game made me question the move. Did they have to do this? Not everyone can do everything well. Five-dollar foot long sandwiches are working well for them. Why the need for breakfast game? It's because the quick service, aka fast food, category is ruthless. It never stops - morning, noon and night. Does it have to be that way?
Having traveled extensively recently, I feel there is not much worse than air travel today. The joy of flying is a long forgotten memory. You just want to get from point A to point B in the quickest time at the best fare with minimal hassle. What happened to what United used to refer to as the "the friendly skies"? The travel category is the very example of look and sound alike sameness with little differentiation. It is a homogonous mess!
